# ManageBac vs Cialfo

The clearest difference is rating: ManageBac at 4.1 against Cialfo's 2.5. ManageBac also leads on ratings volume (177 vs 52). Cialfo's advantage is review sentiment (62% vs 19%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ManageBac holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 177 and 52 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 19% of ManageBac's written reviews are positive against 62% of Cialfo's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ManageBac ships an update every 2 weeks, Cialfo weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ManageBac | Cialfo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (177 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/managebac/id1437382327/reviews)** | [2.5 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cialfo/id1496720229/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **177** | 52 |
| Positive reviews | 19.3% of reviews | **61.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 199 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Faria Education Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514252179) | [Cialfo Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1120617873) |

## What reviewers say

### ManageBac

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/managebac/id1437382327)

This app helps students, parents, and educators manage academic tasks, track progress, and collaborate across various curricula. It supports planning, goal-setting, coursework submission, and communication for a streamlined educational experience.

**Highlights:** Academic deadline tracking, Goal setting and portfolio building, CAS/service-learning management, Curriculum planning and collaboration, Assessment and grade management, Attendance and behavior tracking, Parental progress monitoring

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient for school/IB
- 🚀 Helpful for distance learning
- 👍 Useful for tracking assignments

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive UI
- 👎 Difficult to navigate
- 👎 Slow and laggy
- 👎 Frustrating to use

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent log-outs
- Issues with file uploads
- Inconsistent notification system
- Grades and assignments not displaying properly

**Requested features**

- Easier access to grades and assignments
- Better organization and filtering of tasks
- Improved mobile experience
- Ability to view all past work


### Cialfo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cialfo/id1496720229)

This app helps students research universities and programs, offering personalized recommendations based on their academic background and interests. It streamlines the application process by tracking deadlines, facilitating submissions, and providing updates. Access a wealth of information to make informed educational decisions.

**Highlights:** University and program research, Personalized recommendations, Admission requirement details, Financial aid information, Application deadline tracking, Application submission assistance, Application status updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ManageBac free?

ManageBac is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cialfo free?

Cialfo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ManageBac or Cialfo?

ManageBac is rated higher. ManageBac averages 4.1 out of 5 from 177 ratings, while Cialfo averages 2.5 from 52 ratings.

### Do ManageBac or Cialfo have ads?

Neither ManageBac nor Cialfo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ManageBac or Cialfo?

ManageBac ships an update every 2 weeks, and Cialfo weekly. Most recently, ManageBac was updated on October 26, 2026 and Cialfo on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*